Stories
US "Very Much" Understands Taiwan's Defense Needs, Says Taipei Official
- •A senior Taiwanese diplomat stated the US understands Taiwan's defense needs and the severe military threat from China, following a Washington summit.
- •Taiwan awaits US President Donald Trump's approval of a new $14 billion arms sales package, after a record $11 billion deal last December.
- •Trump had kept the latest arms sales package in abeyance after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, but later said Xi understands his position on Taiwan.
- •Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi highlighted China's increasing military investment despite its economic decline, emphasizing the US understanding of Taiwan's defense requirements.
- •The US is legally bound to provide Taiwan with self-defense means, and Taiwan has received repeated confirmations that US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.
Key Questions Answered
Taiwan has been waiting for months for US President Donald Trump to approve a new $14 billion arms sales package. After meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, Trump placed the package in abeyance and has not explicitly mentioned the sale since a subsequent summit.
Taiwan's opposition-controlled parliament approved nearly $25 billion in additional defence spending, which falls significantly short of President Lai Ching-te's proposed $40 billion package. The approved funds will primarily support purchases of US-made weapons systems, leaving out several locally developed defence initiatives.
The United States is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the necessary means to defend itself. Washington also remains Taiwan's most critical international supporter and weapons supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations.
